CHICAGO – The Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology will launch new certification programs on Oct. 7.

CCHIT officials said last month they would offer an updated comprehensive electronic health record certification program, called CCHIT Certified 2011, as well as a modular certification program – called Preliminary ARRA 2011 – that is limited to the standards for qualifying EHR technology under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

“There is a high risk that providers would not achieve meaningful use to qualify for the ARRA incentives in 2011 and 2012 if they wait until late 2010 to implement certified EHR systems and technologies,” said Mark Leavitt, MD, chairman of the commission.

Leavitt said that on a town call CCHIT held on Sept. 3, which drew more than 700 attendees, the commission received valuable feedback on its proposed programs and a strong indication of interest from health IT companies and developers in applying for timely certification under the new programs.

Leavitt said the commission has followed the recommendations of the health information technology advisory committees to the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) and believes there is sufficient information to offer preliminary ARRA certification.

Department of Health and Human Services criteria and standards are slated for publication by the end of 2009. Final rules on meaningful use are expected in the spring of 2010.

If that process results in the introduction of new requirements, the commission would offer vendors with preliminary certifications an incremental inspection at no additional fee to bring their certifications into alignment with the final rules.

The commission’s certification materials, including criteria, test scripts and certification policies for both programs, are available on the commission’s Web site. Applications for certification will open online on Oct. 7.